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So. We cannot accept that dogs can be made to appear to be doing something they are not. Couldn’t we pull the advert over it being misleading? “VW does not make dogs sing shock”. “Dog in VW advert not a man, it is a dog”.

Ironically, this is the dog that did some pretty unbelievable stuff in ‘Son of Mask’.

The new advert is already a great example of viral advertising. Whereas the gorilla was reasonably easy to read (Purple background, dark, from africa, anticipation, explosion of taste etc), this is a bit harder.

Other than each vehicle looking like a Cadbury’s product – the Cream egg is the small one that ends up on two wheels , Dairy Milk is the one that does the jump – I need to watch it at least 5 more times.

A TV ad for a pendant that claimed to ward off evil spirits has been banned by the advertising watchdog for exploiting the vulnerable.

The direct response TV advert in Hindi was run by MATV Punjabi in December last year, and featured a Ganesh rudraksh pendant that promised to promote good health and protect the wearer from bad luck.

A man was shown wearing the pendant and a protective shield then appeared around him. This image was followed by testimonials from satisfied customers and then a presenter, who said there was scientific evidence to back up these claims.

Monitoring staff at the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, the body charged with writing TV advertising regulations, said that the advert flew in the face of its codes forbidding the promotion of the occult, psychic practices and exorcism.

The BCAP argued that the advert exploited the superstitious and the vulnerable. It also challenged the existence of scientific evidence to corroborate the testimonials.

Leicester-based MATV countered these arguments by saying that the rudraksh was comparable to Christians wearing a cross. It said that the pendant was sacred and was associated with Lord Shiva, one of the prominent Hindu gods.

However, the Advertising Standards Authority today ruled that the MATV ad breached the broadcast TV advertising standards code, which prohibits advertising for products or services within the recognised character of the occult.

The regulator also upheld the complaint that unsubstantiated claims and testimonies exploited vulnerable viewers.

“In the absence of clinically-controlled trials to prove the efficacy of the product, we considered that the claims were misleading,” said the ASA.

The ASA concluded that the ad can only be shown again if adequate proof is included to bear out the pendant’s alleged powers.

Pilot ‘breakdown’ diverts flight
Air Canada flight arriving in Sydney December 2007.
Air Canada says a crew member was taken ill.
An Air Canada flight made an emergency landing in Ireland after a pilot apparently suffered a mental breakdown.

A passenger said the pilot was carried from the plane shouting and swearing, saying he wanted to talk “to God”.

The flight from Toronto to Heathrow landed at Shannon airport after its crew declared a medical emergency. Passengers flew on to London later.

Air Canada has confirmed that a crew member was unwell, but did not confirm he was suffering mental problems.

“He basically said he wanted to talk to God” Sean Finucane,Passenger.

“At no time were the safety of the passengers or crew in question,” said an Air Canada spokesman. “The flight was met by medical personnel and the individual is now in care.”

Eight-hour delay
One of the passengers, Sean Finucane, said he saw the co-pilot being carried into the cabin in restraints.

“He was very, very distraught. He was yelling loudly at times,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “He was swearing and asking for God and very distressed. He basically said he wanted to talk to God.”

Passengers were put up in hotels while another crew was found. They eventually arrived in London eight hours late.

Charlie Brooker has had a long career in the media. He has worked with Chris Morris as a Writer and has a regular column reviewing TV in the guardion, which is where the basic idea of Screenwipe comes from. Even though he claims to look like a ‘Paedophile Walrus’, he actually used to be a model. Here is part of the 70’s campaign for Double Diamond Beer...